1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of intravenous catheters and more particularly to a novel guard for a venipuncture site and catheter and intravenous tubing retainer.
2. Prior Art
When intravenous fluid is to be injected into a patient periodically over a long period of time, the usual practice is to insert a cannula beneath the surface of the skin into a vein and then hold the cannula in position by adhesive tape. While this simple arrangement is effective, problems arise in that the adhesive tape sometimes prevents visual inspection of the venipuncture site, often provides inadequate retention of the cannula as the patient moves or is moved, and is a source of irritation and trauma to the patient.
Separate venipuncture site guard devices have been designed which allow the venipuncture site to be visually inspected, however such devices do not provide ready accessibility at repeated intervals of time to said venipuncture site. Patents such as British Pat. No. 2,046,095; U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,367,690; 3,900,026; and 3,782,377 generally illustrate the prior art relating to such venipuncture site guards.
Other devices have been designed which tend to anchor the catheter or cannula and intravenous tubing, at least partially insulate opposing ends thereof from stress which might otherwise be imposed thereon. Patents such as Swiss Pat. No. 556,668; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,029,103; 3,942,528; 3,918,446; 3,826,254; 3,630,195; 3,059,645; and 2,669,231 generally illustrate such prior art catheter anchoring devices.
The number of patents cited above dealing with the protection of a venipuncture site illustrate the need for a single device which effectively, reliably and inexpensively guards a venipuncture site and retains the catheter in its subcutaneous condition without occulsion thereof.
Prior art devices of the type referred to above have generally failed to provide a reliable venipuncture site guard which provides ready and repeated accessibility to the venipuncture site and allows the cannula at the venipuncture site to move independently of the site guard while protecting the site. Also needed, and not provided by the prior art, is a non-occluding retainer for catheters at a venipuncture site and intravenous tubing connected thereto, preventing the binding or crimping when subjected to exterior stress, allowing high visibility of the catheter providing easy and repeated accessibility to the catheter and tubing via a latched access cover and permitting the catheter and the tubing to be removed and changed without requiring removal of the retainer itself.